Making custom strut brace

[Norbie]

Here's a few pics of my custom-made mild-steel strut brace, which was designed and constructed in the manner described in shinybluesteel's first post:
http://www.norbie.net/Project2JZ/StrutBrace/default.htm

It cost bugger-all in materials, although the total cost was a fair bit higher due to my inability to weld, meaning I had to pay a pro to do it for me. The result was excellent though, easily the best chassis mod I've done for the money.

I plan to triangulate it to the firewall in the future, but I'm not sure I'll be able to do that with the massif 2JZ in the way.

PS. rear strut braces do SFA, at least in an MA61.

[TurboRA28]

Hey Norbie, thanks for posting those pics.

Just curious, is there any reason (apart from clearing the bolt hole for the strut) that the bar is more towards the rear of the car?

Thanks
Joel

[Squid]

Nice idea, I like your thinking!

With a mild steel pipe, would you try and coat the inside so it doesn't rust from inside out?

I wouldn't, but if you are really worried then weld the ends of the bar shut.

When you get the plates made up, do you think maybe you could save the design/sketches and share with the rest of us?

[TurboRA28]

Yup I can draw it up.. the plates themselves as mentioned are sooo simple.. just a 140mm circular bit of metal, with a 100mm hole cut in the center nothing more to it..

[oldcorollas]

Good point on the adjustablity.. Thinking about it you are right, not like its something that needs to be removed often.

I would really like to triangulate it.. I'd probably have to weld a plate to the firewall with some brackets on that. I think i'll more likely add that in later. Be easier with the engine out of the way for that job.

With a mild steel pipe, would you try and coat the inside so it doesn't rust from inside out?

you could weld one end, then pour in a little fish oil (careful not to touch the end you are pouring it from...), then weld other end.. then turn the bar every which way to coat the inside...... should work ok...

as for rust tho, with thick wall tube, it will take a long time to rust out from inside, esp if there is no moisture to begin with (perhaps stick it in front of a heater for a few hours to get nice and hot before welding??)

[AndyTTR]

In regard to the firewall triangulation / stiffness of the firewall - the factory strut brace on my celica bolts to the centre of the firewall, but there is another brace behind the firewall that extends from the centre out to the A pillars. Would it be worth the triangular section if the firewall isn't braced too?

[puzzle man]

Ive been thinking of doing this since i got my car lowed....

http://www.phpbbforfree.com/forums/a...-about859.html

[puzzle man]

this one is heaps better...........
http://cmy510.tripod.com/strutbrace.doc
just save the file...

[JustCallMeOrlando]

PS. rear strut braces do SFA, at least in an MA61.

It's funny you mention that considering Glen mentioned that bang for buck it was one of the best things he did for his car.

[Bananaman]

this one is heaps better...........
http://cmy510.tripod.com/strutbrace.doc
just save the file...

Needs to be copied and pasted, just saving link doesn't work, gives you a tripod file about remote loading

[TurboRA28]

Doesnt seem to work at all for me? Maybe if someone's downloaded it they could email it to me ?

[email protected]
Thanks!

[Bananaman]

Doesnt seem to work at all for me? Maybe if someone's downloaded it they could email it to me ?

[email protected]
Thanks!

Done. Not a bad article, makes it seem simple - my only drama is how one gets the length right prior to bending it?

[TurboRA28]

Thankyou very good doco that.

[mic*]

The best adjusting mechanism ive seen was to cut out approx 80mm of the tube in the middle of your brace, then source a 200mm piece of bar with a slightly larger diameter than your tube ID.

Weld an appropriate sized nut in the middle of the piece of bar, then tap a normal thread on one side and reverse thread on the other. The tap the normal and reverse female threads into the open tube ends.

Screw adjusting bar into tube to desired tension on strut brace. Its a beautiful "one spanner" adjuster.

As far as triangulation goes, my understanding is that with a tower to tower brace you CAN (not always) experience walk in opposite directions. This being because the tower separation is set, so under heavy cornering if one tower is pushing back dramatically, the brace can make the other try to push the other way - the centre point of the brace being the axis of rotation if that makes sense.

Triangulating to the firewall prevents this. However this is best done from each tower as to weld one bar from the centre of the brace to the firewall basically just holds the "axis of rotation" in place and still allows movement moreso than does a bar back to the firewall from each tower.

[puzzle man]

i will have to rewrite it give me 1hr....

Thankyou very good doco that.

edit: so the link works?